Gardening Tools for House Plants

Gardening Tools for House Plants do not require a tool shed. The few implements that are necessary are largely a matter of personal choice and can often be adapted from ordinary household items.

A fork of some kind is essential. The old two-prong kitchen variety is quite suitable but the prongs should be slightly blunted. It is used to keep the top soil open, preventing the soil packing down with watering and permitting the passage of air to the roots. A small trowel is necessary for filling troughs and other containers and a potting stick or dibble is used to make the appropriate size holes when planting all but the largest plants. These items can be bought at any gardening shop and some places sell special miniature sets of tools especially for the house plant gardener.

The selection of gardening tools should also include a sharp knife, perhaps the old gardeners penknife variety or a modern pruning knife, as well as some small sharp secateurs that can be used for pruning and cutting. A finely nozzled syringe for spraying is also quite an important item and, if plants are given a regular spray, cleaning will be less difficult. When cleaning is necessary, a large, soft paintbrush is suitable for brushing most types of leaf. Sprays can also be used for insecticides and foliar foodstuffs but should be labelled carefully and their use never confused.

A polythene watering can with a long narrow spout is the best watering utensil because the flow can be directed beneath the foliage and away from the vulnerable crown of the plant.

Rainwater at room temperature is the best medium and the correct temperature is most easily obtained by keeping a full can in the room. Many other articles can be added as they are found desirable and could include a sieve for sifting soil for small pots, plant labels, twine, canes and stakes and gardening gloves or lined rubber gloves.

If a suitable basket can be obtained to hold all these gardening tools it will make for tidiness and save time. There is nothing more infuriating than having to search for a tool that is required for a certain trivial job at a certain moment. A cloth for mopping up the overflow resulting from over-zealous watering will probably also find its way into the tool basket.